I usually start out Monday with a recap of the weekend, but the events of Sunday morning take precedence today. As you all know USC football coach Lane Kiffin was fired after an embarrassing loss to Arizona St. The move was not unexpected given the team's performance this year and the pressure athletic director Pat Haden was receiving from the alumni. The vacancy has caused mass hysteria and speculation as to who Kiffin's successor will be, but in my mind there's only one logical choice.
You might hear names like Jack Del Rio, Chris Peterson, or Kevin Sumlin thrown around, but University of Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian is their first choice. USC is not a program that can lay dormant or become irrelevant for long periods of time. They have a fan base that is used to winning and won't tolerate failure (see Lane Kiffin). Their next coach has to be able to make an immediate impact and change the current climate.
Steve Sarkisian has resurrected the Husky program in a short period of time with limited resources. There have been some bumps in the road along the way, but for the most part coach Sark has done what he said he would do. USC has taken notice and would love for him to reproduce the same results for the Trojans. He said no the first time they asked and I suspect Southern Cal will make a Vito Corleone type proposal this time around. To be honest the USC job provides perks and benefits the University of Washington simply can't offer.
Hopefully coach Sark has developed a soft spot for the Pacific Northwest and feels a sense of pride for what he's been able to accomplish with the Huskies. Otherwise the allure of coaching one of the top programs in college football will be too much to pass up. If money, power, and prestige are what motivates him he's as good as gone.
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